this weekend i hung out in Allentown and preached at my best bud's church, doing the whole Eeyore goes to Tehran. got a great shoo-fly pie too. excellent! came back here and went to TRUCC and listened to a group of awesome and strong women talk about their trip to Mercy Home in Kenya. too much awesomeness to put into words about how good we have it here. these girls are stronger at 5 then a WWE wrestler. walking 2 miles for water every morning at 4 a.m. with a 5 gallon bucket on your head is freak'n strong. it was great to hear their stories. it is also great to be in a church that supports such a great mission without asking anything in return.

still trying to think up another blog name for wordpress, "considerations" or something might work. or i may drop blogging altogether unless my future church thinks it would be a good idea. just getting frustrated with the level of discourse i fail to live up to. also sick of polemics and homophobia and generally the lamenting and anger at people being human and not living up to their standards... you know, the same standards they themselves can't live up to. bull-hockey i tell you. bullocks and durn it all to tarnation!

or maybe i should just stick to the fine peeps on my side list ( these ones here---> )and not worry about the rest of the world.

DO NOT STOP! Why not take a break and come back to all of this? Or just keep blogging? I am sure your congregation would love your musings. If they do not, then you are in the wrong place. Or just have a place to have your sermons post and then maybe some sort of weekly "goings on" or "what if" section?

I can appreciate your ambivalence about blogging. I suppose it depends on the construction of your congregation. If they are all non-technos, then you have less to fear. On the other hand, if they are all more into the values of discussion and searching, and less into absolutes and 'you-better-see-things-my-way-or-else', then you are also OK. It's the congregation where everyone expects you to line up with them that will give you the most grief. Are yous till sure you want to be a pastor?

I find it weird you are going to quit - oh well - your call at the end of the day. But don't do it because of 'peer pressure'...do it because you want to change it up (can't live by some congregations expectations of you).

And Time Wise is right on the money about the racism in America (and in the West concerning minorities to some degree). If another Black Panther group arose they would likely become 'terrorists by label'...meanwhile I find the tea party preaching some pretty terrorist sounding clips.

So I think there is room for both, yes? There is something to be said for sharing/questioning within the confines of your new church - wherever that might be - and there is something that you have to do for you, too. My blog - although related - is clearly mine. Just like I have a few friends, more over time, who are not part of the church. And that is important, too.

I was at a Wailin' Jennys concert last friday, after spending time reconnecting with Psalm 37, when they said: Look, worrying is like praying for things you don't want to happen. Right on the money... don't fret, my man. Wait on the One who is Holy and do your small part.

You share love and light - and even the questions are vital - from the way I see it.